James R Doolittle Academy

James R Doolittle Academy operates as a low-enrollment primary school in Chicago, Illinois, operated by Chicago Public Schools Dist 299. Current enrollment sits at 257 students spanning grades pre-K through 8. Compared to the state average of about 381 students per school, that is 33% smaller than typical.

Across the 622 schools in Chicago Public Schools Dist 299 (324,396 students total), James R Doolittle Academy accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

For racial and ethnic makeup, James R Doolittle Academy records that nearly all students (98%) are Black. The wider county runs roughly 22% Black, putting the school's mix meaningfully more Black than the area baseline.

On the income-and-resources front, The school currently runs with 21 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 12.5:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.9:1, putting James R Doolittle Academy tighter than the state norm the norm. About 85% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. Set against Cook County (around 66%), the school's rate is meaningfully above typical.

After controlling for student poverty, James R Doolittle Academy performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 22.5%, the actual is 9.5%, a residual of -13.0 points.

In the broader community, Cook County reports that the typical household earns roughly $83,498 per year, 43% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 10%. In all, Cook County runs 1406 public schools (combined enrollment of about 697,934 students), of which James R Doolittle Academy is one.

The closest other public school is Urban Prep Chtr Bronzeville HS, roughly 0.1 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. On composite proficiency, James R Doolittle Academy comes 6th of 9 in the immediate cluster, beneath the nearby-schools average of 15.9%.

Geographically, the school is in a metropolitan area.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at James R Doolittle Academy has contracted 7%, going from 277 students in 2018 to 257 in 2025. The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 18.1:1 in 2018 to 12.5:1 today.

On this page, posts here usually surface around fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.